Smelting and refining apparatus.



No. 813,825. PATENTBD PEB. 27, 1906.

' 1:. 0. POLLARD.

SMBLTING AND REFINING APPARATUS.

APPLIOATION FILED APB.25, 1905.

PATENTED FEB. 27, 1906.

E. G. POLLARD. SMELTING AND RBFINING APPARATUS.`

APPLICATION FILED APR.25,1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 'SEM y WITNESSES. fwn/f Arron/:frs

ENOS C. PGLLARD, 0F SEATTLE, VVASl-HNGTQN.

SMELTlNG AND HEFlNlNQ- APPARATUS;

Specification of Letters Patent.

v Patented Feb. 27, i965.

' Application led April 25, 1905. Serial No. 257,295.

T0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ENOS C. PoLLARD,-a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Seattle, in the county of King and State of Washington, have invented a new and Iniproved Smelting and Refining Apparatus, of which the following is a full, clear and exact description.

This invention relates to an apparatus for the direct conversion of ores and mattes into metallic product-that is to say, an apparatus in which the smelting of the ore and the refining of the matte isl carried on in one continuous operation.

The invention is especially designed for use in connection with copper ores and mattes, although, of course, its use is not limited to connection with these substances.

Generally described, the apparatus comprises a converter, above which is arranged a ycupola-furnace, the lower end of which is constructed with a sort of boot or bowlelilre portion, into which the throat of the 'converter opens. From the lower portion or boot of the cupola a passage extends to a iorehearth or settler located directly adjacent to the cuola-furnace and having also a passage leadmg into the converter, said passage being at a greater elevation than the lower end oi the passage from the cupola-furnace. At the bottom of the converter is located abase or box for receiving the reiined product, and this box or base communicates with a recep: tacle, into which said refined product is discharged. i

By means of this apparatus I am enabled to keep up a continuous smelting and refining operation. The matte and slag produced in the cupola-furnace flows through the passage therefrom into the settler.` From this settler thel lighter and less valuable portions of the slag pass oil to the dump, while the matte and more valuable portions of the slag pass by gravity into the converter. Here the matte is subjected. to a Bessemerizing blast, and the slag is forced back into the bowl or boot of the cupola-furnace, thus bathing the matte and other substances therein and returning to the settler in the manner before described. The refined metal passes from the base or box of the converter out into the receiver and is drawn therefrom as it accumulates.

This apparatus is especially useful performance of the process for the version of copper ores and mattes inL lic copper, which forms the subie my co pending application, Ser' filed May 2l, 1904, and it conL originally disclosed and claimed i pending application and divideri compliance with an oiicial requ This specification is an exact cesci one example of In'y invention, while claims define the actual scope thereof.

Reference is to be had to the accouiwn ing drawings, forming a part of this spe tion, in wiich similar characters et reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views. 'Je

Figure l is a vertical section on the ine l i of Fig. 2 of a preferredicrm of my apparatus, showing elements in the rear in sectirfn o' le line 3 3 cf Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a vertical on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a'or view, on an enlarged scale, ci' on the line 3 3 ci Fig. 2; and Fig. i. tional View cn the line 4 4 ci Fig. 3.

F indicates the cupola-furnace; C, the coin verter, and B the box or base thereof.

S indicates the settler or iorehearth, and it indicates the receiver for the refined copper or other metal. These arts are supported on a suitable framing, wiich will not be spi cilically described, since in itself it iornis no part et my invention.

l!" indicates the boot or bcwl at the bottom (if the cupcla-furnace, and into this the throat of the converter empties.

Reference to Fig. 2 will show that the fur* nace and converter are transversely elongated, which arrangement l consider best in practice, although it is'not essential. F the bottom portion cr boot F ci the lu a passage P extends, this passage ru downward and discharging into the b( cf thesettler. n second passage F pc from the settler at a point above the c charge or lower 'end oi the pa" g l passage l?" discharginc into tl,i lower part ci the converter. pas ge P the bottom ci the box or base Y ceiver lt.

The box or base B is supported on aci and comprises an cuter shell ll, ci in deeply lined with clay er other ncnron.

material i2,\preterably iaced with insg hesite. it is re 'erably sup leniented by a thin shell 13, o basic inateris ,in the shape of an invertedarch ci magnesite brick. Mein@ dientes the bustle-pipes for supplying the blast to the twyers oi the ccnverter.

The settler S is preferably supported on casters 2li and is constructed 'oi a metallic shell at its bottoni and inner and cuter ro shells at its sides, forming a watere'aeltet, The settler is lined with brick 2?' or t e like and provided with a lid comprising .a inetallic shell 28 and s. brick. liningv 29.

30 indicates a vertical slot termed-in the x5 settler for drawing oli .the slag, and in this slot is placed a vertically-adjustable daniplatel, provided with an orifice 32. ily raising and lowering this plate the level at which the slag is allowed to accumulate in the zo settler may be re lated, it being understood that when the s ag reaches the level oi the orifice 32 it passes oli to the dump.

33 indicates a tap lflor drawing od the heavier ortions of the matte which accumu- 2 5 late in t e settler and which lie too low to be' passed into the converter through the passage P. The passawes l and l are formed el inner and outer s relis not only constituting the passaces, but also forming water 3o jackets for cooling the same. l

The arts so far described are all represented 1n the above-mentioned application. Some of them, however, are shown 1n an iin proved form in the present case.

The hood 40, which-covers the converter, is se arated therefrom't the top of the nonconc ucting material in the box or casing 11; out a free passage is provided through it from the converter for the heated gases and prodao ucts of combustion to passrinto` the furnace F. As this hood serves 'merely for this purpose, it may be built of any desired fireprooi material.

The bustle/pipes ifi are constructed in the form of hollow iron pipes extending along the interior walls ci the converterV and, in tact, forming the interior surface ci the walls. The passage of the air through these hollow walls cools them and prevents their destruc- 5s tion by the molten slag in the converter. The b ast passes from these ipes through ipes 4l into the inclined sha ts 15, which l nave designated as twyers These shafts simply passages molded in the lining and extending upward and outwardly from the Afi "pipes fil by iron pipes 42, closed at the ends 'iyl'eaps 4 3, screwed onto 'the pipes to form tjoints. .Ilhesecaps mayberernoved 'l rkthe'purpose oi attending to any obstrucattlie foot ci.l the shaft or elsewhere .thin teach. While l have called sits tyvyers and it is to be under ood V.they'have thesanie purpose es twyers, t, .il be eeen that they are entirely different e tad-Fis E3 from what isjnow known inlfthe art as twyers as far as colstruction'is concerned;

in the use ci a converter constructed as above described the pressure of the blast prevents the rise of the matte in these shafts, and the air from them instead of being proiected lrorn their ends esca es under watercoolcdpipes/M, located at t e mouths of the shafts, and rises vertically through the matte and supernatant la er or" slag.

'The slag may be rawn from the converter by kinetic energy due to the blast through the twyers and the dynamic' energy of .eiierves cence due to the production of sult'urdioxid, which is formed from the reaction between the cuprous oxid and cuprous suliid present inthe matte. The sulfur dioxid formed escapes in. minute bubbles, causing the slag to increase yin volume to form and occupyv 1y "eater space, and hence to be specifica n liter than the same slag prior to forrnin f 's action, together, as has been'said, wit

the moving force of the blast, causes the slag tol rise, so that it can be withdrawn; but

prefer to provide an additional means for. ac cornplishing this result, as it is desirable to raise the slag sufficienti high to allow its be ingintroduced into the rnace above the zone of fusion, whereby the danger of a silicious skeleton beinvleft in the furnace alter the sultids have beenxliqueiied is avoided. in the form shown the slag is drawn from the converter through a passage P3. This passage is formed in a wall 45, which-'separates the receiver R from the converter, of which it is an extension. it is inclined downwardly, so as to readily discharge the slag into the bottom of a stand-pipe 46. This stand-pipe is proroo vided with a water-jacket 47, and its upper end is connected, by means oi a downwar inclined portion 48, with a pipe 49, the water# jacket covering all of these portions. The pipe 49 is provided with conductors-50.y by means of which the slag is discharged into the furnace on the top of the ore and other materials which may be therein, ready for iushionor in the act of being fused. A passage 51 is also provided for the purpose of draining the pipe 4), and it is ordinarily closed, so as to force the slag to pass into the furnace through the pipe 50. The passage 5] is continued through the pipe 49 and is extended upon the outside thereof by means of a pipe 52, which can be closed by a cap 53.

This construction is provided so that a bar or the like may be introduced to open the passage 5l. A pipe 54 is also provided for draining the stand-pipe and the passage P3. The wall 55 of the furnace below the outlet ofthe passage 5() is preferably vertical, while the opposite wall 56 is battered, and the same wall above the outlet 5G is also battered to torni abosh, The melting-furnace is preferably provided with twyers 57, as' usual.

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' 'the jaclret.

' side. the water-jacket, so that it may become heatsienes F and pipe 46 constitute means .tor establishing a circulation of materials betwe i f furnace and converter.

in order to provide Vlor forcing the slag up tluough the stand-pipe d6 and into the iur nace if, the bottoni ofthe stanrbpipe is provided with a conical tube having lits larger dia-meter at the top. The top ol this tube is open to admit slag from the stand-pipe and is preferably located at a lower level than the top ol' the passage P3. At the bottom of this conical pipe. is located a shell 59, having two annular passages and 6l one located above the other and not normally communicating with each other except through au opening 62, which is ordinarily' closed by means of a valve 63. T his valve also closes the bottom of the conical pipe. A nut 6d is mounted below the valve and is adapted to be removably screwed into position, so that it will press upon a spring and torce the valve to its seats. The nut may be removed for cleaning purposes. ,The valve is designed to be operated to open and allow communication through both of the passages which it closes when the p' ure-ot the gases above it is suflicient to overcome the resistance ol the s c g rlhis permits air introduced into thepassage 60 througha conductor 66 and an explosive or mixture introduced into the passagetl through a vconductor.67' to iniX ani new into the bottom of the conical pipe "o This mixture being heated by the slag Oo. in the pipe explodes and furnishes the m0- tive power for raising the slag in the standpipe. The air and explosive lmixture are preferably at the same pressure in the annular passages, and that pressure should be greater than 'the pressure the column oi slag above. its the explosions take place in the tube 58, l shall hereinafter designate, 'this element as the explosion-tube.

The connection between the two annular passages in the shell 59 is preferably forined vby plurality of small ports which provide for the intimate nii-Xing of the gases when they introduced into the explosion-tube. A. portion of this tube is inclosed in a wateriacket 68, divided into two parts by a vertical dam 6??, extending almost to the top of Wateris admitted into the j aeket on one side of the dani and lflowing upward over it escapes at the bottom on the other A portion of the tube extends above ed, and thus explode the gas before the level of theslag has risen entirely above the tube.

titer rising through the stand-pipe 46 the escape through an exhaustqnpe to this method ol' drawing the will simpl y increasing or decreas- .i supply ot explosive mixture. The

so be raised sufficiently high to adi e converter the Aflow may be regumit of its being poured onto the upper sur-I face of the ore in the furnace, where its scouring action on the charge can be utilized throughout the entire mass of ore as it sinks regularly and rapidly in the furnace.

in operation the ore, with the proper admixture of lluX,is fused in the furnace F to produce a matte in the boot f, and this, with the resultant slag, is drawn'ol and allowed to setn tle in the settler S. The lighter and relatively valueless portions oi the slag are then run oli to the dump throu yh the passage 32, which is adjusted as descri ed above, so that it will discharge only that slag which contains less than a certain percentage of copper. After this the matte. and remaining slag are subjected to the action of blasts of air to Bessemerize the matte,producing a linished metallic product which is allowed to run into the receiver R and forcing the metals oxidized by the blasts into the slag. The supernatant layer of slag, which receives the 0X- ids, is allowed to flow through the passage P3 into the standpipe 46, and by the proper regulation of the conductors 66 and 67 the gaspressure in thc standpipe will cause the valve 63 to open and the proper explosions to take place in order to conduct the slag into they furnace F, where it bathes the matte and the silieious component of the ore to absorb a portion thereof and passes otl' therewith to be settled again. It will be noticed that by introducing the slag at this point inflows by gravity through the ore and through the settler back into the converter, and thereby better serves its purpose as a carrier of ferrous oxid to the silica and of silica to the ferrous oxid. After once starting the process is continued cyclically, the slag and matte being kept in steady movement so long as operations are to be performed thereon, the ore being continually charged into the nielting-furnace, the lighter portions of the slag being steadily drawn oli to the dump and the refined or iinished metallic product being drawn out when the proper degree of refinement is obtained The arrangement of the blast-conducting devices in the converter is an important feature of the invention The advantager (if this are many. First, it renders it unnecessary to cool the converter by water except by the small pipes 44, as the air of the blast ab,n sorbs heat from the lining and returns it again tothe contents of the converter. Although being already heatedto some extent, it will absorb less heat than would cold air. Second, the blast escaping in a continuous sheet from the lower ends of the passages 15 throughout the lull length of the converter, it is possible to use much'niore air and still consume all its oxygen than would be possible where the air must be blown through twyers with comparatively narrow outlets. Moreover, a

IOO

'balance the pressure of the matte plus that of the slag and the back pressure of the es caping gases. The blast can be given no greater pressule'than this, as with any increase it will. merely escape more rapidly. The additionalforce required, therefore, to compel the air to rise at a point away from the walls of the converter is saved, because the gases pass around the pipes 44 'and up through the converter from the opening in the inclined bottom thereof. This is a great saving, as the expense of the blast is the principal item in the cost of treatment by this process, and the cost of compressing air is proportional Ito its final pressure. In addition to this this construction prevents the annoyance due to copper noses forming over the twyers and renders it possible to suspend operations for a considerable period without danger. A ball-valve 71.- in the bustle-pipe prevents the backward flow of the compressed air, and hence the rising of the matte, 1n the shafts or inclined passages 15, and even if this air should escape the matte merely rises in the shafts, which are purposely made so lar e as to permit this without dan er of their ecoming filled with solid copper or a considerable period. The water-pipes 44 become covered with a chill of matte, and as the surface exposed to the cooling influence of the water remains constant, while the surface exposed to the heat of the molten matte increases with the depth of the chill, there must necessarily be a point in the thickness of this chill where the heat, abstracted by the water, balances that absorbed from the matte, and this will occur in a few inches. The blast sweeping over the surface of the matte beneath the water-pipe 44 becomes highly heated before escaping upward, and in coming into contact with the low-grade matte its oxygen attacts the sulfur and iron with reater avidity than would be the case were t e blast cold.

Having thus described my invention,l I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent-- 1. i The combination of a furnace having a boot or bowl-like portion at its lower end, a converter having a throat openingr into the lower art of the furnace, a settler, and means 'or conducting molten materials from the boot of the furnace into the settler and from the settler into the converter.

rial from the furnace to the conver erases l 2. The combination of a furnace ha boot or bowl-like portion at its'lorarer converter having a throat opening inte lower part ofthe furnace, a settler, means t conducting molten materials from the be t the furnace into the settler and from tl a f tler into .the converter, and a receiver ce Inunication With the' 'converter' toreccive fm ished product therefrom.

3. The combination of a converter, a .in ing-furnace, means for?l establishing a eycl passage lof molten materials from the e verter to the furnace and from the fui the converter, and a receiver in coi. tion with the converter to receive product therefrom. 3.,; 4. The combination of a converter, ref ing-furnace, and means :for causin.

contents of the furnace, and cause a tr of materials from the interior of the fur into the converter.

5. The combination of a converter, a ing-furnace, means for establishing a. pas of molten Imaterials from the converter te i furnace and from the furnace to tht verter, and a settler or forehearth loca and forming part of the path of the mi materials. g5

6. The combination of a converter, a ing-furnace, means for conducting mat i from the furnace to the converter', and s rate means for conducting materialsfrefn ne converter to the furnace.

7. The combination of a furnace havi depressed lower portion, a converter loe at a lower level than the bottom of the nace, said converter having a hoo-d commu eating with its top and with the fini i means for conducting materials frei lower part of the furnace into the cor and means for conducting materials fro converter into the upper part of the fui 8. The combinationA of a furnace, a verter located at alower level than t." tom of the furnace, means for conducting 'e terial from the lower part of the furnac the converter, and means for condire-ti terial from the converter into the upper of the furnace.

9. The combinationf a furnace, .a er iverter, means for conducting materiai the lower part of the v'furnace into t? verter, and means for conducting n from the converter into the upper pari'. furnace.

10. The combination of a conf.- melting-furnace, means for conductii separate means for conducting mat u from the converter to the furnace said rate means comprising a conductor diefL erases into the furnace, and means in the condoctor .tor forcingrnaterial therein to ascend.

1l.' combination of a converter, a melting-furnace, means for conducting material from the furnace to the converter, and separate means for conducting materials from the converter to the furnace, said separate means comprising a conductor discharging into the furnace and means in the conector i'or forcing material therein to ascend; safrl .last-named means comprising an exploanrl means for conducting a mixture esplosive gases into said tube.

1L. lllhe combination of a converter', a melting-furnace, means for conducting material trom the furnace to the converter, and lseparate means for conducting materials i the converter to the furnace said sepameans comprising a conductor discharging into the furnace, and means in the con.- ductor tor forcing material therein to ascend; said last-named means comprising a conical explosion-tube having an open upper end and a passage in its lower end, a valve for closing a pair oi" chambers normally separated from each other, said valve controlling communication between said chamhere, and yielding means for normally forcing the valve to closecommunication between said' chambers and also to close the opening in the bottom of the explosion-tube.

12 The combination of a melting-furnace, a converter located at a lower level than the melting-furnace and having a dischargeopening adapted to deliver slag by gravity from the converter, a stand-pipe communieating with the lower end of said dischargeopening and extending 'to a point above the bottom of the furnace, a pipe tor conducting material from the stand-pipe to the furnace above the charging-line' thereof, and means4 for materials in the stand-pipe to ascend therein and be discharged into the The combination of a melting-furnace, a converter having a dischargeopening adapted to 'deliver slag from the converter, a stand- 1)ipe communicating with said discharge-opening and extending to a point above the bottom of the furnace, pipe for con-ducting material from the stand-pipe to the furnace, and means 'for causing material in the stand-pipe to ascend therein and be dischargeo into the furnace.

l'l The combination of a converter, a conductor for conveying materials therefrom,

leens in the conductor for forcing matei rein to ascend saidlast-named means ing conical explosion-tube having to open 1 oper end and a passage in its lower tor closing said passage, a pair rrnally se arated from each ve controlling communication 'iarnhera and di ig means for normally forcing the valve. to close com- 65 munication between said chambers and also to close the opening in the bottom of the eX- plosion-tube.

16. The combination of a converter, a melting-furnace, and means for conducting material from the converter to'the furnace, comprising a conductor, an explosion-tube in the conductor for forcingv material therein to ascend, and means for conducting a mixture of 'explosive gases into said tube.

17. The combination of a. furnace having a depressed lower portion, a converter located at a lower level than the bottom of the furnace, said converter having a hood communieating with its top and with the furnace, means -for conducting materials from the lower part of the furnace into the converter, and means for conducting materials from the converter into the upper part of the furnace; said converter having passages in its Walls constituting twyers, and opening near the bottom of the converter.

' 18. The combination of a converter having passages molded in its walls and opening at the bottom thereof, said passages constituting twyers, means for conducting compressed air to said passages, a melting-furnace, means lor conducting molten materials from the melting-furnace to the converter, and means for conducting molten materials from the converter to the melting-furnace.

19. The combination of a converter a molded lining, and a pi e constituting a portion of the inner wall o the lining, apassage in the lining constituting a t'wyer and passages for conducting air from the pipe to the twyer, and means for conducting molten material from the converter.

20. The combination of a converter, said converter being provided with inclined passages in its Walls upon o posite'sides thereof and converging toward t e bottom ofthe converter, bustle-pi stituting part o the in er face thereof, assages from the bustle-ipes to the inclined passages, and water-cooling pipes located above the mouths of the inclined passages within the converter, and means for conducting molten materials from the converter.

21. The combination of a converter, a furnace into which the converter discharges, a settler, means for conducting molten material from the furnace to the settler and from the settler to the converter, a vertically-adjustable overflow-conductor in the settler, and a receiver in communication with the lower part of .the converter to receive 'the finished product thereof.

f 22. The combiuationofa converter, a furnace into which the converter discharges, a settler,.means for conducting molten materials from the furnace to the settler and from the settler'to the converter, a vertically-adhaving es also in its walls and con- IOOv y@ r im@ Mstab umuwf :awtm' .m the Settim', En t'estlnmny whereof I have slgnd my and wm'mr c mmumtxon 'mth the 11a-mest() thls specllcatwn m the'; presence of 

